Indicator for pneumatic tires.



s'. F. comi.V INDICATOR FOR PNEUMTICTIRES. APFLICATIQN FILED ^U`G.2`5 |914.

Patented 'Jam 11, 1916.

.L 'lll/1,111.14.

- ,UNITED sTATEs PATENT orales.;

SAMUEL F. COLE, or IURGELLVILLE', VIRGINIA.

INmcATon'ron PNUMATIC TIRES. ,j l

To all whom t may concern.'

-Be it known that f1, SAMUEL F. COLE, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at y Purcellville, in the county of Loudoun and State of `Vir. inia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a specification.

The. invention relates generally to electrical indicators, but more particularly to means for indicating the deflation of pneumatic tires; and it consists of a novellyl constructedv attachment adapted to be fitted to the ordinary filling-tube of such tires,

whereby the deiation of a tire may beV indicated by displaying a signal or sounding an alarm.

The chief object of the invention is the production of a novelly-constructed preissure circuit-closer, which can be set to a pressure lower than that withinthe tire, so

that when the pressure 'Within the tire has l become reduced, from any cause whatever,

construct and arrange the several parts ofr 'the attachment that it can be readily fitted to that of the set or fixed pressure, said circuit clos'er will operate to close "the circuit toa signal device.

- Another object ofthe invention isl to so to the filling-tube` ofthe tire without in any Way interfering with or affecting theuse of said filling-tube. l

Other objects of the invention will become 'apparent upon the detailed description and operation thereof.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of -my improved attachment, somewhat enlarged, as fitted to the "n filling-tube of a'pneumatic tire, a' portion of A the filling-tube being broken away; Fig. 2, is a side view of an ordinaryy automobile wheel, showing my attachment applied l I thereto, 'F ig. 3 a similar View of oney end of a front axle and a cross-section of the wheel, showing the electrical connectionsand a signal, and Fig. 4 isa cross section showingl the method of securing the brush andconductor vto the wheel. v

Referring to the several views, `the numeral 2 indicates fa pneumatic-tired wheel,

and 3'the filling-tube thereof of vordinary Speciiication of Letters Eatent.

t its head 1.7 centrally apertured to receive a short, flanged-tube 18 fitting loosely .withini flanged-tube 18 is externally screw-threaded Patented Jan. 11,1916.

' Application filed August 26, 1914. Serial No. 858,631..

' externally screw-threaded to receive a screw# threaded, flanged cap 6 which is provided with a central boss or hub 7, adapted to receive a' Wrench or other tool for forcing down the cap, for apurpose'to be hereinafter explained, fiange of said cap being provided with a pointer 8 adapted to indicate the pounds pressure marked on the tube' 4, as will be referred. to later on. The tube 4 is-provided with oppositelvdisposed insulated apertures 9, 9, through which project contact-strips 10, 10. and located above the inwardly-projecting ends of the contactstrips is a vmetal disk or armature 11 which is fastened to a block of insulating material 12, said disk or armature being adapted to make Contact with the contact-strips. Seatedupon the insulating block is a disk 13, preferablyA metal, against which impinges one end of a coil-spring`14, the other end of said coil-spring abutting against the cap 6, which when screwed upon the' tube'4 -will compress the spring anv number of. pounds desired, marks indicating pounds-pressure` being arranged on a strip 15 attached to the outer Wall of said tube 4, or they` may be arranged on the tube itself, and with which the pointer is adapted to register. The tube 4 is inclosed bv a tube 16 screwed upon the enlargedend of the tube 4, and has said aperture so as'to provide a` swiveling movement. `The upper portion .of the' to receive'asorew-threaded clamping-nut 19 for firmly attaching and holding said iianged-tube to .said head of the tube 16, and projecting into the flanged tube is a iangcdinsulating-block 20, through which pass the positive and negative'conductors 21 andv 22, respectively, the conductor 21 being vin contact with a spring-conductor or contact 23, and theA conductor 22 in contact with a spring-conductor or contact 25, the conduc- 100 tor 21 and r-spring-conductor 23 being secured to the insulating-block 2O bybindingscrew 24, While conductors 22 and -25 are se-y cured to said insulating-block by bindingscrew 26. Thefree end of spring-conductor 105 23 contacts with one end of Aa conductor 27, the other end of said conductor 27 being in contact with one of the contact-strips 10,

and the .free end of spring-conductor 25 'contacts with one end of a conductor 28 110 asI I' in Fig. 3.

' preferably incased within a flexible tube 31 being in contact with the other contact-strip i 10, both conductors 27 and 28 being insulated from the wall of the tube 16.

In applying the attachment to wooden Wheels, a metal ring 29, of suitable conductivity, is fastened .directly to the spokes thereof, as shown in Fig. 2,but if the spokes are metal the ring should be properly insulated therefrom. The conductor 2 1 is connected with said ringe; by means of a. brush 30 which is secured at any convenient point on the hub of thev wheel which if metal must be suitably insulated therefrom, or said brush may be secured to any other part of the running-gear of the vehicles adjacent to the wheel, and the conductor 22 is grounded in the hub'and axle of the wheel, as shown lThe conductors 21 and 22 are so as to protect them from possible injury by reason of shock or j ar.

Secured to the inner wall of the tube 4, at

any convenient place, is an angle-piece 32 provided with a concave head 33, adapted to t over the en d of the valve-stem of the filling-tube and hold the valve away from its seat in the perforated disk 34, so as to, allow the compressed air within the tire t0 pass through the perforations in said disk and. ,impinge against the metal diskor armature `11, and by its greater force hold said disk 'or armature normally out of contact with the contact-strips 10, 10, thereby providing; a normal open circuit which will remain open until the air-pressure within the tire has been, by leakage orotherwise, reduced to the pressure exerted by the spring 14.

The form of signal l prefer to use is an incandescent lamp, as shown at 35, Fig'. 3, the wire 21 leading from one pole of a battery 3G, or other source of electrical supply,

i to the metal ringQQ, and the wire 22 runningI from the other pole to the Wheel-hub.

ln operation, the pressure-cap 6 is screwed down, compressing the spring 14, until the pointer registers with the number of poundspressure desired below that of the air-pressure contained within the tire, for example-,- if the air-pressure within the tire is about eighty-pounds and the pressure-cap forced down upon the spring until it should exert a force equal to, say sixty-pounds, the air-pressure within the tire would hold the armature out of contact with the contact-strips until the pressure within the tire equaled sixtypounds, when the circuit would instantly Liemeer:

close and the signal be displayed or. sounded,

as the casemay be, thus Warning the driver of a` tire vbeing deiiated, which if permitted tocontinue wouldprobably result in serious injury to the tire. It will be understood that each wheel of the vehicle is to be provided with the indicator-attachment, so that deflation of any one or all of the tires 4may be indicated. When it is desired to fill or refill a tire with air, the clamping-nut 19 is slightly loosened which will permit the at; tachlnen-t to be readily unscrewed from the illing-tube without twisting the conductors 21 and E22,v als the tube 16 will swivel around.;l

the fianged-tube 18.

Various, modifications or changes in the4V details of construction of my attachment -may be made without limiting' the scope of my invention or departingq from the prin ciple thereof.

` lavine thus fully described my invention,

what lt claim is 1,.,n indicatinar device for pneumatic tires, comprising outer and inner tubes; contact-strips within the inner tube; an' armature arranged to malte contact with the contact-stripsg a pressure-means situated within said inner tube, and a circuit-closer` adapted to be brought into yoperation by the decreased pressure of air Within the tire.

2." An indicating device, comprising outer. and .inner tubes;A a pressure-means within the inner tube; contact-strips extending intor the inner tube; conductors in contact with the contact-strips, and an armature adapted to make contact `with the contact-strips-y ln testimony whereof Iaiix my signature,

in presence of'two witnesses. y

SAMUEL F. conn.

`Witnesses;

JOHN H. Conn, RUSSEL LoRD-VVooD. 

